Tapper is an arcade game released by Bally Midway in 1983. It is the second game in Bally-Midway's "Mustachioed Man" trilogy, preceded by Domino Man and followed by Timber, and by far the most successful of the three. These three games were developed for Bally-Midway by Marvin Glass and Associates, the toy designers known for such iconic 1960's toys and games as Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and Operation. The "Mustachioed Man" himself was designed by MGA graphic artist Scott Morrison, and is based on Mike Ferris, the artist who taught Scott Morrison art. It was produced in association with Budweiser, whose logo is prominently displayed throughout the game. It also features Steve Karmen's enduring jingle, "When You Say Budweiser, You've Said It All," during the Bonus Rack. A version was also produced for Japanese brewer Suntory, with all of the Budweiser logos being replaced with Suntory's. A third version was later created called Root Beer Tapper. While Tapper was marketed toward actual bars, the family-friendly Root Beer Tapper was marketed toward video arcades. It is a fine example of the golden age of arcade video games: simple, easy to learn, and devilishly difficult to master. Tapper features Bally-Midway's typically impressive hardware, using a 16-bit stereo sound system, and a clever blend of high-resolution sprites overlaid onto standard-resolution backgrounds. The cabinet itself is a work of thematic art, complete with genuine Budweiser tap handles, wood grain paneling, a brass bar foot rail, and even a drink holder for each player.

Tricks and Glitches

The number of times Bar Tender fills his Mug during a victory celebration

Whether Bar Tender gets his foot stuck in the Mug during a victory celebration

Which cans the masked man shakes during a Bonus Rack

The order in which the masked man shakes the cans during a Bonus Rack

The unshaken can during a Bonus Rack

The RNG can be manipulated by the following:

Frame count

Bar Tender's location

Bar Tender's status

Credit display value

Chute 1 Coins counter

Chute 2 Coins counter

Any input entered during a Rack will affect the RNG until the controls are locked after completing the Rack. Note that after pressing Up or Down, the controls become immediately locked for 7 Frames while Bar Tender switches Bars. The controls are locked 17 Frames prior to the victory celebration. This allows a maximum of 17 Frames after final normal input during which to enter manipulation input in order to manipulate the outcome of the subsequent Rack. Any control input can manipulate the RNG except the Start button.

During a Bonus Rack, the controls are locked immediately after the Tapper is pressed. No other input entered on the Frame that the Tapper is pressed will affect the RNG. As such, the only possible way to manipulate the outcome of the subsequent Rack during a Bonus Rack is to enter input prior to pressing the Tapper, or by delaying the Frame on which the Tapper is pressed.

Mercifully, the Service Button and coin mechanisms function even when the controls are locked. This allows for RNG manipulation on the fly, without disruption to Bar Tender's input. As such, the Frames between Racks are used for entertainment, rather than for RNG manipulation.

Double Pour Glitch:

While the Run Posture Countdown Timer is at 2, hold the Tapper for 2-4 Frames and then press Right or Left for 1 Frame. The Pour is cancelled, but the graphics of the beer persist. Using this technique, the beer graphic can be made as tall as 2 beers, depending on how long the Tapper is held, and how many times the technique has been repeated. The beer graphic persists until Bar Tender enters run posture, switches Bars, or begins a Bar Slide. Note that when Right or Left has been pressed 2 times, the Run Posture Countdown Timer is at 0, and 1 more Frame of Right or Left input will cause Bar Tender to enter run posture. As such, a Mug can only be (nearly) filled a maximum of 3 times (though the beer graphic will only increase for the first 8 Frames of holding the Tapper).

Wiggle Run:

While the Run Posture Countdown Timer is at 2, hold Right or Left for 3 Frames. When the Run Posture Countdown Timer returns to 2, hold the same direction as step 1 for 2 Frames, and then press in the opposite direction for 1 Frame. Repeat as desired.

Run Backward:

While the Run Posture Countdown Timer is at 2, hold Right or Left for 2 Frames, and then press in the opposite direction for 1 Frame. Repeat as desired.

Manipulate Victory Celebration:

After completing a Rack, Bar Tender will fill his Mug 1 time or 2 times. The number of times Bar Tender will fill his Mug can be manipulated. If Bar Tender fills his Mug 2 times, 53 additional Frames are required. Note that Bar Tender will only fill his Mug 1 time after Rack 1.

After completing Rack 2, Rack 8, and Rack 12, Bar Tender will hurt his foot and hop around in pain. If he is unlucky, he will also get his other foot stuck in the Mug. This can be manipulated such that Bar Tender does not get his foot stuck in the Mug If Bar Tender gets his foot stuck in the Mug 8 additional Frames are required.

Manipulate Bonus Rack:

After Sliding the last Mug, entering input can manipulate which cans the masked man will shake up and how the cans are rearranged. After the masked man shakes 5 of the 6 cans, he moves to the left side of the screen before rearranging the cans. The masked man moves from the location of the last can that was shaken to X 28 at a rate of 2 pixels per Frame. The far left can is located at X 32. The far right can is located at X 152. As such, it is necessary to manipulate the masked man to shake the far left can last to reduce his travel time by as many as 60 Frames. Furthermore, if Bar Tender must move to choose the correct can, each movement requires 8 Frames, so the correct can must be manipulated to be located at Bar Tender's starting location. Choosing the wrong can in Bonus Rack requires a minimum of 90 more Frames than choosing the correct one.

Manipulate Bar Patrons:

When a patron receives a Mug, the patron is pushed toward the exit. The specific distance that a patron is pushed is determined by the RNG. The range is from 13 to 33 Frames. For each Frame of the push, the patron is moved 3 Frames toward the exit, equating 42-99 pixels. If the patron reaches playfield boundary on the right or left, he is pushed out of the bar. The value is set when a patron receives a Mug. Any action taken by the Bar Tender prior to a patron receiving a Mug will affect the RNG. Bar Patrons are manipulated throughout the TAS to ensure that they are pushed out of the bar by just 1 Mug.

Comments

Control Priority:

During gameplay, if multiple controls are pressed simultaneously during a Frame, only the control with the highest priority will be processed for that Frame. The control priority is, in order of highest to lowest: Right, Left, Down, Up, Tapper. Note that this does not apply to input entered during a menu screen. Note that the Service Button and coin mechanisms can be used in combination with another control (including one another). Furthermore, the Service Button and coin mechanisms function even when the controls are locked.

The longer a Bar is, the shorter the delay between Bar Patron advances.

When adjusting the Difficulty Level, the value increases more quickly after pressing Right on the first 2 valid Frames, just as though Right were being held.

Changing Bars requires 8 Frames before another Beer can be poured. Changing Bars requires 9 Frames if Bar Tender must change Bars 2 or more times in succession.

A Bar patron's timer value is set at the beginning of a Rack. The value is determined by the RNG. The range is from 19 to 32 Frames. After this initial timer has expired, the Bar patron's timer will resume its normal pattern.

As bar patrons near the end of the bar, they begin to advance more quickly.

The Victory Celebrations:

The general victory celebration that Bar Tender performs is determined by the Rack number. The specific victory celebration that Bar Tender performs is determined by the RNG. For example, at the end of Rack 2, Bar Tender will always kick the Mug and hurt his foot, but he may or may not fill his Mug 2 times or get his other foot stuck in the Mug afterward. If Bar Tender fills his Mug 2 times, 53 additional Frames are required.

Bar Tender tosses the Mug over his head and shatters it with a deft heel kick as it falls.

Bar Tender tosses the Mug over his head and fails to shatter it with the heel kick, hurting his foot.

Bar Tender tosses the Mug over his head and fails to shatter it with the heel kick, hurting his foot. If the Mug lands upright, Bar Tender will also get his other foot stuck in the Mug while he hops about. This requires 8 more Frames than if Bar Tender's foot does not get stuck in the Mug.

Bar Tender tosses the Mug over his head and hits a bird, which falls on Bar Tender's head. This only occurs on a Sports Bar or Alien Rack, as they are the only outdoor venues. Bar Tender must throw his Mug beyond the top boundary of the screen before it can hit the bird. The bird must then fall from the top boundary of the screen to land on Bar Tender before the transition to the next Rack can begin. As such, it is faster to end a Rack as near the top of the screen as possible. Each Bar requires 22 additional Frames as Bar Tender moves away from the top Bar. Ending a Rack at the top Bar saves up to 66 Frames.

Bar Tender tosses the Mug over his head and it falls on his head and shatters.

Bar Tender tosses the Mug over his head and it gets stuck over his head.

feos: Way to dominate a random game! The devs left so much to randomness, hoping to distract regular people, that they missed how much room they left for a taser. This probably doesn't look entertaining if you're seeing the game for the first time, but once you know what is happening, and how improbable this outcome is, you start to enjoy it. And even though it's just tossing beers asap throughout the whole run, people enjoyed it too.

This game has no ending, and it starts to loop after level 13, not increasing in difficulty anymore. The order of the customers varies a bit, but you can't get more than 4 times 4 per level, so rearranging them doesn't introduce any real new content, especially considering what this run does.